Sampling can



S. H. BROOKS SAMPLING' CAN Deco 3, 1940.

Filed March 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Dec. 3, 1940. s H, BROQKS 223,598

SAMPLING CAN Filed March 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WQ 467m INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE y SAMILING CANStephen H. Brooks, New York, N. Y.

Application March 24, 1939, Serial No. 264,025 Solaires. (o1. 137-48)`My invention relates to improvements in samplingcan's and it moreespecially` comprises the features referred to in the accompanyingclaims.v

An object of the invention is to providean alllaround-purpose samplingcan that will enable a sampler to' secure samples of the contents of atank at the top level, at the bottom level and at any that desired pointbetween the extremes; and also, in additionto securing the desired tom.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly' in section of Fig'.

1 showing the can suspended, closed at the top and open at the bottom.

Fig. 3 is a 'front' elevation, partly in section showing the can open atthe top.

Fig; 4i is a bottom plan of the lower end.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation partly in section showing the opening ofthe valve'in the bottom of the can throughout' the presence of thesampling bottle.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation in section of the cap shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 6, l 8 is a top plan view of thevalve releasing means positioned inth'e cap.

the Vactual'production and use of my sarnpling can I may employ whateveralternatives or equivalents that the exigencies of varying conditionsmay demand without departing from the broad spirit of the invention.' y

The sampling can may be made of a brass or other non-corroding metaltube I.

It has a removable top 2 and a bottom 3. The bottom inr cludes a valve 4that has a stern 5 which is held normally closed by reason of a spring 6on the stem 5.

The spring abuts the valve casing cross The portion 3 has dependingprotective fingers A safety cap I2 encloses the bottom 3 when it is notto be used to secure a sample of liquid from the tank at the lowestpoint of the tank.

The top 2 is attached to the tube by means of internal radial pins I3which` enter inclined grooves I4 formed `on the outer face of the baseof this upper or top member. An opening I5 is formed to admit liquid atthe top of the sampling well when the opening is unobstructed.

This top member 2 has two upstanding projections I6 which are eachprovided with two curved slots. The short slot I'I limits the positionof the closure I8 in relation to the opening I5,l maintaining theopening closed. The long curved slot I9 limitsv the extreme upwardmovement of the closure stem I8 when it is raised to free the opening I5to admit liquid to the can I. The closure stem I8 is slightly tapered atits lower end to lead it into the opening I5. At its upper end anhemisphericalenlargement 2D is formed. 'I'his has two side lbosses 2|into which the threaded end of the Ishoulder screws enter. The enlargedportions 22 are positioned in slots I'I or I9. These screws have heads23 which prevent the enlargement becoming disconnected from the slotsI'I and I9. The enlargement 20 at its topmost surface has an eye 24formed for the attachment of a snap 25 swiveled to the end of a strongat tape line 2B which is attached to anydesired form-of winding devicesecured to the tank top (not shown).

After the can has been lowered into the liquid to any desired depth,noted from the indications on the tape line, at which a sample is to betaken a sudden slackening and a quick jerk of the tape line will bringthe screws 22 into the long slot I9 thus uncovering the opening I5 andadmitting liquid from the desired level. When sufficient time haselapsed to fill the can there is no need for specially closing it.

A thermometer 21 is secured on the inside of the tube I by spring clips28 in any desired manner. It supplies definite temperature data from anylevel of the tank contents.

The operation of my sampling can is very simple through the cooperationof a rapid closing gate valve in a pipe extension on the top of a tank.This has side openings above the Valve through which the can is passedand secured to the free end of the tape line. The tape line is wound onthe axle of a winch which is controlled by an outside crank. Thesefeatures relating especially to gas tight tanks are not shown herein asthey constitute a separate invention. They are however described in anapplication, Serial No. 245,124, led on December 12, 1938. Suffice andother levels.

any movement fora period of.v six months willl probably have become'stratied to such an extent that differences of specific gravity will befound at the ve, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-vel foot In the oncominguse of `pressure tanks this matter'of stratification is very important.It is so important that samplers operated by means of two strings, ashas been in vogue, is entirely inadequate and impractical, f

The cooperative use of a thermometer with my sampling can is a greatadvantage over prior existing temperature reading devices. In ordinarilytaking the temperature of the contents of a tank the thermometerislowered into the tank and submerged in the oil. Should a fortyfoottank have only 'fteen feetof oil in it by the time anunprotected-thermometer is raised through the twenty-ve feet of gasvapor space,

which, under summer conditions may have a temperature as.' high as 200degrees Fahrenheit will show a resulting temperature that is manydegrees higher than the temperature of the oil in thefbottom'portion oflthe tank. With my combined sampling can such discrepancies cannot arisebecause the vthermometer used isinside of the can in direct contact withthe actual sample of oil brought to the top of the tank.

Should a graduated sample be desired the top 2 is swung into a tight nton the tube I, the tape line snap is attached to theveye 24 of theenlargement 20 of the closure stem I 3 and the can, in this position, islowered into the Atank and the oil regardless of its gravity permits theslow filling of the can in its downward progress, thus securing anaverage sample of the tankrs contents.

In case a sample is desired at any given level the closure stem I8.maybe'manually operated to change the position of Ascrews' 22 from slot I9to the slot I'I so as tothus close the opening I5. The sampler findingthe can at the desired point slacks the tape 'quickly for two or threeinches, and immediatelyrecatches it. In this condition, the can, beingempty, it has considerable buoyancy and practically no weight, theeffect of the sudden slack ofthe tape allows the ball 29 and its stem I8to drop'to its lowest position, when a sudden pull on thevv tape willraise it vto its highest positionso as to let oil flow through theopening I5 to fill the can. A continued upward pull of the' tape willbring the can to the top of the tank for observation.

I The cooperative action of the curved interconnecting slots I'I and I9is such thata movement ,of the pivot screws 22 up and down in such slotswill automatically reverse the HVVposition of the screws, that is, whenthe screws "22l drop in slot I'I to the lowest point thenext pull upwardon 29 will bring the screws to the topof the slot I9.l.eaving theopening'f`I5xopen to receive the desired. sample.

When samples of the contents of tanks which are of high gravitygasoline. under high vapor `pressure of tento ltwenty pounds, are to betaken from the tank to be of service they must be shown in Fig. 1, thehighly volatile gasoline may l be removed from the tank I directly intoa sampling bottle from the bottom of the can instead of pouring it outfrom the open top of the can.

A supplemental cap 29 is screwed on the bottom of the can instead of thecap I2. This cap has a partition 30, a bottomrecess 3|, and a knurledrim 32. A central hole is formed in the partition 30 in which a stem 33is free to move by gravity. This stem at its upper end is slotted at 34and an annular groove is formed on its outer surface to receive a splitring 35. At the lower end of the stem 33, it is threaded internallyat`36 to receive a plug 31.

About midway ofthe length of the stem 33 a thin enlargement 38 isformed. It has openings 39 which are the same in number as the radialgrooves 42 formed on the under face of the partition 39. The split ringon the stem 33 rests against the upper face of the partition 30,

which prevents the accidental removal or loss of the stem.

'The highly volatile contents lof the can are removed as follows. `Thecap 29 is screwed onto the bottom of a full can and the plug 31 isremoved from the bottom end of the stem 33, the stem resting in itslowest position. projection 44 is placed into the openv neck of thesampling bottle 49, and the bottle is then moved upward against theenlargement 38. This causes theupper end of the stem 33 to engage the enlargement 8 of the valve stem 5. A further upward movement of the bottleuntil the enlargement 38 engages the underside of the partition 3l),will open the valve 4 so that `the contents of the can will flow throughthe opening 4I of' the stem 33 4into the sampling bottle, thus insuringthat the highly volatile gasoline is removed from the sampling canwithout any evaporation losses. The radial grooves 42 and the concentricgroove 43, associated with the openings 39 of the disk 38 permit air toescape from the bottle.

Gasoline will flow freely from the canV I into the bottle by reason ofthe slot 34 of the stem 33 forming a free passagev into the openingA 4Iof the stern. If the slot 34 were not formed then the upper end of thestem 33 engaging the underside of the enlargement 8 of the kvalve stem 5would prevent the passage of gasoline.

What I claim is:

l. A sampling can containing highly volatile liquid having aspring-pressed valve at the lower end of the cana removable cap to beattached and detached from the bottom `end of the can below thespring-pressed valve,.a partition in the cap,` a hollow stem subject togravity having movement in an opening in the partition adapted to engagethe spring pressed valve in the bottom end of the can, ya stem for suchvalve, and means for raising the valve when a samplebottle is pressedagainst the gravity stem.

2. A sampling can comprising a gravity inlet valve at the top of thecan, a spring pressed closure valve at the bottom end, av capL havingThe a partition therein, a gravity tube movable in the partition, anotched upper end of the tube, anannular flange around the tube havingair vent holes therein, said tube serving to move the spring-pressedclosure valve upward into an open position through the tube being raisedwhen a sampling bottle is pressed against it whereby any highly volatileliquid in the can is transferred to thebottle Without the loss of vaporWhile the sampling bottle is being filled and on the Withdrawal of thebottle the parts are restored to their former position.

3. A sampling can comprising a tube, a gravity inlet valve at the top, aspring pressed closure valve at the bottom, a screw cap for the top ofthe can in which the gravity inlet valve is operative, a pair ofupstanding projections having reversed curved slots therein, a pinextend ing from each side of the gravity valve entering into the slotsof the projections and an eye on the gravity valve for suspending theentire tube from a measuring tape.

STEPHEN H. BROOKS.

